Bae and Day lead the pack

Both players finish with 7-under 63 to tie for the lead at Barclays

Associated Press

Published 9:51 pm, Saturday, August 29, 2015

Photo: Ross Kinnaird

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EDISON, NJ - AUGUST 29: Jason Day of Australia hits a shot from the rough on the 17th hole during the third round of The Barclays at Plainfield Country Club on August 29, 2015 in Edison, New Jersey. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 527948615 less

EDISON, NJ - AUGUST 29: Jason Day of Australia hits a shot from the rough on the 17th hole during the third round of The Barclays at Plainfield Country Club on August 29, 2015 in Edison, New Jersey. (Photo by ... more

Photo: Ross Kinnaird

Bae and Day lead the pack

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Edison, N.J.

Ryan Palmer can't imagine the emotions if he were to win The Barclays a week after his father died. Bae Sang-moon would love nothing more than to play in the Presidents Cup at home in South Korea before he starts his mandatory military service. Jason Day is one round away from being in the race for No. 1 in the world.

The FedEx Cup playoffs suddenly are about a lot more than a $10 million bonus at the end.

Bae and Day traded birdies through the third round Saturday at Plainfield Country Club. Their best-ball score would have been 56. On their own, each had a 7-under 63 and were tied for the lead at 11-under 199, one shot ahead of Bubba Watson (67).

Bae has to start his two-year military stint when he returns to South Korea. With a victory on Sunday, he would be assured a spot on the International team for the Presidents Cup, which is being held in his home country for the first time and will be the biggest golf event in South Korea.

"I have a really tough situation right now, but I don't think about it anymore, actually," he said. "I have to go back. So that is a few weeks later. So I just want to play good golf this week and really want to play Presidents Cup in my country."

The emotion comes from Palmer, who hasn't had a top 10 in the last three months. He is playing a week after his 71-year-old father died just north of Amarillo, Texas, when his SUV overturned. Palmer has found peaceful moments on the golf course, and while dropping two shots late in his round Saturday, he had a 65 and was two shots behind.

At times, Palmer caught himself wondering what it would mean to win with a family grieving at home.

"But then I just kind of come back saying, 'OK, let's just hit this shot, let's not get too ahead of ourselves yet.' I don't know what it's going to be like if it happens," Palmer said after a 65. "I can't put into words what it would mean for sure."

Day, just like he did on the par 5s at Whistling Straits when he won his first major two weeks ago, cracked a 343-yard drive down the middle on the 601-yard 16th hole, and then hit a 4-iron to 18 feet and holed it for eagle to tie for the lead.

Day and Bae made bogey from the rough on the 17th, and both got up-and-down for birdie on the reachable 18th.

A victory by the 27-year-old Australian would be his fourth win of the year, tying him with Jordan Spieth for most on the PGA Tour this year, and allow him to join the race for No. 1 going into the final month of the tour season. Spieth, who missed the cut, will lose the No. 1 spot to Rory McIlroy.

"I'm shooting for my fourth win of the season, so I can't really get ahead of myself," Day said. "I've just got to not be satisfied with the score that I'm at. I've just got to keep pushing, because the moment that you're satisfied with a score is the moment that you mentally kind of take a break and you start making mistakes."

Champions Tour: Canadian Rod Spittle shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Dick's Sporting Goods Open. The 60-year-old Spittle was at 10-under 134, a shot ahead of Scott McCarron (64) and John Huston (68). Huston, the 2011 champion, is trying to become the first two-time winner in the event that started in 2007. Jeff Maggert (68), Stephen Ames (64), Ian Woosnam (69) and first-round co-leader Paul Goydos (70) were tied for fourth at 8 under, with Corey Pavin (66) and Willie Wood (69) another shot behind. Schwab Cup points leader Colin Montgomerie is not playing for a second straight week because of commitments in Europe.

European Tour:Thomas Pieters of Belgium shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Czech Masters. Pieters began the round one shot behind overnight leaders Matthew Fitzpatrick and Pelle Edberg but made an eagle on the par-5 first hole and continued with four birdies on the next nine. He then suffered a blow by dropping two shots on the 11th due to playing a wrong ball in the rough. Seeking his first European Tour victory at Albatross Golf course near Prague, the 23-year-old recovered immediately with a birdie on the 12th and added two more on the 14th and 16th for a 17-under 199. Edberg produced a flawless round of 5-under with five birdies to sit a shot back.

LPGA Tour: Austin Ernst took the lead at 10 under before darkness forced the suspension of third-round play in the weather-delayed Yokohama LPGA Tire Classic. Ernst was 1 under through four holes after waiting out a five-hour delay for rain and lightning on the links-style Senator Course. She passed second-round leader Yani Tseng, who had a bogey on the fourth hole to drop to 9 under. Players are expected to stay in the same groups for early morning starts Sunday, trying to complete the 72-hole tournament. Lexi Thompson, the 2011 winner, was two strokes back along with Sei Young Kim, Tiffany Joh, Sydnee Michaels and Julieta Granada.